Curving Away*

I care about the terrorism in Iraq, Istanbul, Bangladesh. I studied Political Science. I became an officer so I could do something locally. To do my part. It nearly broke me. I don’t know how to stem violence here or there. By the grace of God we live. Practicing kindness is my small effort now. ‪#‎happy4th‬‪#‎America‬‪#‎kindness‬‪#‎lesshate‬

Curving Away*

when we, America
round on ourselves – curve away
you are not my country

A person makes a love
and they hold each other
timed against the next bombing or gunner.

I taste gunpowder news with my coffee.

And someone kills children sleeping
or kills them awake
blowing them out of their shoes
or were they just feet?

Only our skeletons, the same.
No race to ligaments.
No religion to tendons.

Trim your nails,
clip your pain at the root.
cover me
cover you

But this tile, this carpet
these flicker lights
gives nowhere to hide.

Do we lay down?
Do we charge?

Cry out to the powerful.
Hang your head in the new quiet.
Resounding in the night.

Echoed east or west
until nobody is left.

Title taken from the line “curving away from the story”
from Stones (The Coast of Turkey, Robert Smithson)
by Ann Lauterbach